Refrigerator



March 27, 1934. R. T. FRAZIER REFRIGERATOR Filed June 21, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 27, 1934. R. T. FRAZIER 1,952,981

REFRIGERATOR Filed June 21, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 27, 1934- 1,952,981 REFRIGERATOR Robert T. Frazier, Chattanooga, l enn', asslgnor' to Tennessee Furniture Corporation, Chattanooga, Tenn, a corporation of Tennessee Applicationl'une 21, 1933, Serial No..676,95 4

This invention is refrigerators of the shown in my U. S. Letters Patent. No. 1,909,261,-

date May 16, 1933, and the principal object of 5 the present invention removable unit, including an electric fan and thermostat, which may be readily insertedin an opening in the ice chamber partition, whereby air in the refrigerator, between certain predetermined temperature limits may be circulated by the fan in a closed circuit through the ice chamber and food compartments in volumes inversely proportionate to the surface area of the ice, thereby maintaininga minimum low temperl5 of the refrigerator regardless of the size of the cake of ice, or of variations in the outside temperature.

In icerefrigerators the. interior temperatures vary widely because of twomain reasons:

the temperature rises asthe surface area of the cake of ice decreases; and second, the temperature varies upand down with the variations of the room temperatures. When the room. tem.- perature isrising both of these faotorsare-opcrating in the same direction, to. accelerate-the rise in temperature inside. the-refrigerator. In an ice refrigerator operating purely by convection there is a temperature differential within the refrigerator between the bottom-and top, varying from 8 F. when the room temperature is about 70 F., up to 12-16" F. when the temperature is 100 F.

The rate ofheat exchange, from ice to air, varies in direct proportion to the surface area of the ice fexposedto the air andhence a 50 1b..

cake of ice, and. a 100 1b. cake placed side-' by side will bequire substantially thesame length of time to melt in open air .or in air of-any given- 40 velocity, due' to the fact that as the surface area of the. ice is reduced a slower. circulation of .air. in the refrigerator is moving air has a higher temperature. Therefore, temperatures of 47 to 54 F. beneath the ice chamber, and from 59 to 66. F. on' the top shelf, depending upon the amount. of ice in the refrigerator at the time, are quite usuaL. Inmy air-conditioned ice refrigerator this temperature deficiency is corrected byproviding. means for automatically controlling .the speed of. circulation of the air. inside of the cabinet; In my novel unit the electric fan is controlled by-the thermostat which is set to close the fan circuit when the temperature adjacent the thermostate is about 50 F., and to open the circuit when about 46- F. is

is to provide a preformed ature evenly distributed throughout the interior- First, 7

produced, and the. slowly of the liningis a flue C provided with an opening'D 20 Claims. (0]. 62 -72) attained, whereby the'temperature in the bottom of the refrigerator is maintained at about 42 F. substantially continuously. I

I will explain the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate several practical. embodiments thereof 'to enable others familiar with the art to adopt and use the same; andwill summarize in the claims the novel features of construction, and novel combinations of parts, for which protection is as desired.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view looking 'upon the central partition of a three-door refrigerator fromthe ice chamber side.

Fig. 2 is a similar viewv looking from the food compartment side. I

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the refrigerator and my air-conditioning unit installed in the central partition.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 44, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is'a perspective view of the air-conditioning unit,-detached, looking at the fan and thermostat mounting.

Fig.- 6 is a diagrammaticsection illustrating the application. of my novel .unit to a two-door type refrigerator, in which the icechamber entirely covers the food. compartment.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic section illustrating the application of my novel unit-to a large type L refrigerator, in which the ice chamber is dis- 'Figs.21'-5, the .interior of the refrigerator contains anice chamber A in one upper corner for holding a cake of'ice-B, the ice chamber being formed by theusual lining having a bottom C and central partition D, separating the ice, chamber A from themain' food compartment E; In the bottom 0 leading into the bottom or milkv compartment F i disposed immediately below icechamber A. The partition D between the ice chamber A and food compartment E is at its top sufliciently large to snugly receive the base block of my air-' conditioning unit, which block contains a -fiue permitting passage of air between the upper ends of .the'ice chamber A and food compartment E. My novel unit preferably comprises a block 1 of wood. or other material, preferably rectangular 11 face of block 1 exposed inthe ice chamber A,

which flange extends around the periphery of the block; and as the overall dimensions of block 1 were made so as to flt snugly but easily into opening D' in partition D, the block when in position in the opening may be secured by four ordinary wood screws 4 passed through the flange 3 into the partition D, holding the unit securely in place. A tinned wire grid 5 is provided overopening 2, on the ice chamber side, for preventing'the ice B from contacting with the rotating fan blades.

Jtfthe side of block 1, opposite from the grid 5, a e metal mounting bar 7 extending diametricall across opening 2 and upon bar 7 is mounted an electric motor 8 having its shaft disposed axially of opening 2; and a fan 9 is mounted upon the motor shaft, said fan being confined wholly within opening 2. A bi-metallic thermostat 10 is mounted upon an extension 7a of bar '7, and

the electric lead wires 11 and 12 which connect the thermostat 10 and motor 8, terminate in a plug 13.

The main electric lead wires 14 and 15 from the power terminals, which maybe an ordinary light socket, are preferably carried in a rubber covered cord, and enter the back of the refrigerator, and are connected to a receptacle 16 mounted in the rear wall of the refrigerator, which receptacle receives the plug 13 when the unit is installed.

It is desirable that before insertion in the refrigerator the fan and thermostat be assembled in the unit, tested andadjusted, and then the unit inserted in the refrigerator and secured.

A porcelain baflle 1'7 forms a covering for partltion D within the food compartment; and said battle is formed with an inwardly extending offset portion 17a disposed opposite the block 1, and the space between offset 171; and block 1 serves as a compartment Gin which the fan and thermostat mechanisms of theair-conditioning unit are completely concealed. Offset portion 17a is provided with a large circular flue opening 17b in alignment with the opening 2 in block 1;, and a tinned wire grid 18 is placed over flue 17b so as to prevent hands, dishes, or the like from coming in contact with the fan mechanism while permitting free circulation of air therethrough. A series of openings 17c are punched inthe ofi'set portion 17a along its rear edge to provide free circulation of air directly from the food compartbaflle 17 provides a clean, attractive, interior for the food compartment, and the batlle 17 com pletely conceals all mechanisms of the unit.

In Fig. 6 my novel unit is shown as applied to a two-door ice refrigerator, in which the ice chamber H entirely covers the food chamber K, with air passages L provided around the exterior of ice'chamber H. The same fan assembly 9 previously described is inserted through the opening H in the top of the ice chamber; and forces air down upon the ice, through flue H in the bottom of the ice chamber and into the food compartment K, the air moving in the direction of the arrows and returning upwardly through ducts L around the exterior of the ice chamber and back to the fan unit 9.

As shown in Fig. 7 my novel unit is applied toa large refrigerator of about twenty-five or thirty cubic feet, in which the ice chamber M is in the center above a milk compartment N, and food chambers P, Q, are disposed at the sides of the ice chamber. The fan unit 9 and the path of circulated air as indicated by the arrows in Fig. '7, is substantially identical with that above described regarding Fig. 6.

The electric fan 9 forces the warmer air at the upper end of the food compartment E through flues 17b and 2 and down upon the ice B inice chamber A; and downwardly through the flue C in the bottom of the ice chamber into the milk compartment F, the chilled air circulating through chambers Rand E in the direction of the arrowsand back again to the ice chamber A, the forced circulation maintaining the temperatures in the compartments A, F and E substantially the same.

The fan 9 is controlled by thermostat l0 preferably adjusted to close the fan circuit when a temperature of 50 F. is reached in the top of the food chamber E and to open the circuit at 45 F.

The fan 9 in practice is found to operate about five minutes and remain idle about twenty-five minutes when the room temperature is constantly at F.; and the motor 8 being less than 1/ 20th of horse-power, consumes less current than an ordinary 40 watt light bulb, and develops very little heat in the refrigerator due to the extremely short cycle of operation required.

Actual tests have shown that, with a thermostatically operated fan in the refrigerator, the increase in ice consumption in the cheaper board type insulated ice box of 100 pounds capacity-was only 6 pounds per 24 hours, and I was able to maintain the temperature between 46 and50? F. in the warmest part of the refrigerator continuously up untilthe time there was only 10 pounds of ice left in the box. The same refrigerator without the fan in it showed a temperature in the warmest part of 63 when there were still 44 pounds of ice in the refrigerator. My invention therefore provides novel and useful features in ice refrigerators, as it offers low temperature and economical refrigeration to those who cannot afford electric refrigerators, as well as to those who prefer ice refrigerators because of their obvious advantages.

1-. In a refrigerator having an ice chamber and a food compartment and having fiues connecting the chamber and compartment; and a removable air circulating unit in the flue adapted to circulate air through the chamber and compartment, said unit including automatic regulating means for circulating the air in volumes inversely proportional to the surface area of the ice in the chamber.

2. In a refrigerator as set forth in claim 1, said unit comprising a base; a rotatable fan carried by said base; and a thermostat on the base adapted to control said fan.

3. In a refrigeratoras set forth in claim 1, said unit comprising a block adapted to fit said flue and having an opening therethrough; an electric fan mounted on said block coaxial with the opening; a thermostat mounted on the block; and

electrical connections between the fan 4. In a refrigerator as set forth in claim '1, an electric socket within the refrigerator; said unit comprising a block adapted to fit said flue and having an opening therethrough; an electric fan mounted on said block coaxial with the opening; a thermostat mounted on the block; an electrical circuit including the fan and thermostat; and a plug in the circuit adapted to engage the socket.

5. In a refrigerator having an ice chamber and a food compartment and having flues connecting the ice chamber and compartment; and a removable air circulating unit in the flue adapted to circulate air through the chamber and compartment, said unit including automatically controlling means for circulating the air within predetermined temperature limits.

6. In a refrigerator as said unit comprising a base; an electric fanon said base; and a thermostat in circuit with said fan.

7. In a refrigerator as setforth in claim 5, said unit comprising a block adapted to fit said flue and having an opening therethrough; an electric fan mounted on said block coax'al with the opening; a thermostat mounted on the block; and an electrical circuit including the fan and ther mostat.

8. In a refrigerator as set forth in claim 5, an electric socket within the refrigerator; said unit comprising a block adapted to fit said flue and having an opening therethrough; an electric fan mounted coaxial with the opening; a thermostat mounted on the block; and an electrical circuit including the fan and thermostat; and a plug in the circuit adapted to engage the'socket.

9. In a refrigerator having an ice chamber a food compartment, flues connecting the chamber and compartment; an opening through the ice chamber into the food compartment; and a removable fan and thermostat unit mounted in said opening adapted to circulate a volume of air through the chamber and compartment in inverse proportion to the surface area of the ice in the chamber.

10. In a refrigerator as set forth in claim 9, said unit comprising a member adapted to fit said opening, and carrying sad fan and thermostat.

11. In a refrigerator as set forth in claim 9, said unit comprising a block adapted to fit said opening; said block having a passage therethrough; said fan being mounted coaxial with the passage; said thermostat being mounted on the block; and an electrical; circuit including the fan and thermostat' 12. In a refrigerator as set forth in claim 9, an electric socket within the refrigerator; and said unit comprising a block adapted to fit said opening and having a passage therethrough; said fan be'ng mounted within said-passage; said thermostat being mounted on the block; an electrical circuit including the fan and thermostat; and a plug in the circuit adapted to engage the socket.

13. In a refrigerator having an ice chamber in the upper portion and having a food compartment below or to one side of the ice chamber, and having flues connecting the chamber and compartment; an open'ng at the upper end of the ice chamber into the food compartment; an air circulating unit removably mounted in said opening adapted to circulate a volume of air through the chamber and compartment in inverse proportion to the surface area of the ice, a baffle plate in the food compartment, the space between the 1 tion' opposite the set forth in claim 5,

'comprising a base; an

baflle plate andice chamber forming a housing for the unit; and said flue having an opening therethrough opposite the opening in the ice chamber.

14. In a refrigerator having an ice chamber in the upperportion and having a food compartment below or to one side of the ice chamber, and havlng flues connecting the chamber and compartment; an opening at the upper end of the'ice chamber into the food compartment; an air circulating unit removably mounted insaid opening adapted to circulate a volume of air through the chamber and compartment in inverse proportion to the surface area of the ice, a baflle plate in the food compartment having an inwardly offset porspace between the oifset portion of the baflle plate and ice chamber forming a housing for the unit; and said offset portion having an opening therethrough opposite the opening in the ice chamber.

15. In a refrigerator as set forth in claim 14,

said unit comprising a block adapted to fit said opening, an electric fan on said block; and a thermostat on the block adapted to control said fan; and said baffle plate having a series of openings therethrough in Way of the thermostat; 16. An air-conditioning unit for refrigerators electric fan mounted on said base, athermostat and an electrical circuit including the fan and thermostat.

17;. An air-conditioning unit for refrigerators comprising a block having an opening therethrough; an electric fan mounted coaxial with the opening; a thermostat mounted on the block; and an electrical circuit including the fan and thermostat; and a plug in the circuit adapted to engage an electric power socket.

18. An air-conditioning unit for refrigerators flue; means for locking the block in the flue; said block having an opening therethrough; an electric fan mounted coaxial with the opening; a thermostat mounted on trical circuit including the fan and thermostat; and a plug in the circuit adapted to engage an electric power socket.

19. An air-conditioning unit for refrigerators comprising a block adapted to fit a refrigerator flue; said block having an opening therethrough; amounting bar onthe block extending across the opening; bar and housed Within the opening; a thermostat mounted on the bar; and an electrical circuit including the fan and thermostat; and a plug in the circuit adapted to engage an electric power socket.

20. An air-conditioning unit for refrigerators comprising a block adapted to fit a refrigerator flue; a locking flange around said block; said block having an opening therethrough; a mounting bar on the block extending across the opening; an electric motor mounted on said bar with its shaft coaxial with the opening; a fan blade mounted on the motor shaft within the opening; a thermostat mounted on the bar; and an electrical circuit including the motor and thermostat; and a plug in the circuit adapted to engage an electric power socket.

ROBERT T. FRAZIER.

the block; and an elecopening in the ice chamber, the

mounted on the base an electric fan mounted on said 

